Are They Real? (LinkedIn Connections)

I have 2,353 LinkedIn Connections. However, it’s not the number that is important, but the quality! Or is it. The answer is probably somewhere in the middle. I don’t need to keep track of my closest friends and colleagues using LinkedIn, as I am in frequent communication with them. On the other hand, I am probably not going to get a meeting with with the CEO of (you fill in the name of the large company) just because we are connected on LinkedIn.

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In my experience, LinkedIn is best for staying connected to business people with which one is loosely associated. After a meeting with new people, I will often send them a LinkedIn invitation. Being connected to people on LinkedIn has two main benefits, it serves as a reminder that we know each other, and provides an easy way to get in touch.

To increase their number of connections, some people join open networker groups (AKA ONA). Members of these groups are willing to accept invitations to connect via LinkedIn with people that they don’t know. These groups do increase connections, but the quality is very low. I very briefly joined one of these groups and found most of the requests were people in developing countries and had no legitimate business reason for connecting to me. While I am open to connecting to people that I don’t know well, I now only connect with people that I have a personal exchange with (email, call, or meeting).

About the Author

Marc Prosser has been involved in many businesses as an executive, advisor, and investor. Prior to starting his own company, Marc Prosser was the first employee and Chief Marketing Officer of FXCM. During his ten years at FXCM, the company grew from a small business to over 700 employees.

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